PHNO-HL: POLITICAL SURVIVAL? LAKAS-CMD LYING LOW IN 2013 / PH SENATE ELECTION

POLITICAL SURVIVAL? LAKAS-CMD LYING LOW IN 2013 / PH SENATE
ELECTION
MANILA, JUNE 26,
2012 (INQUIRER) By Gil Cabacungan - Senator Ramon "Bong"
Revilla Jr. (photo) said his party, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, would
likely "lie low" during next year's elections as it focuses on consolidating its
remaining forces among representatives, governors and mayors.
"This is a matter of political survival. We understand that. This is also
what happened during the Estrada administration. I will stand by this party till
the end and I intend to strengthen it further, hopefully in time for the 2016
elections," said Revilla. "We still have 12 governors, 28 congressmen and 120
mayors. They cannot belittle our party with these numbers."
Revilla said Lakas was in the middle of a transformation, with its previous
leader, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, staying out of the limelight
as she tackles her legal problems. The former president has been detained over
the past seven months in a government hospital on charges of election fraud.

"In the case of GMA (Arroyo), she distanced herself from the party without
anybody telling her to stay away. I think it would be painful for anyone to tell
her to leave her own party," said Revilla.
Revilla said he remained on good terms with Arroyo despite having adjudged
her appointee, former Chief Justice Renato Corona, guilty during the impeachment
trial.
Revilla may not be as learned as some of his peers but he has sense enough to
know it would be inappropriate to have himself and his wife, Cavite
Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla, serve in the Senate at the same time.
"For me, I don't think it would look good to have a husband and wife together
in the Senate," he said in a radio interview. "Also, I don't want to be closely
watched every day," joked Revilla, a movie star with a reputation as a ladies
man.
Mercado-Revilla, herself an actress, is among the leading candidates for the
Senate based on a survey on the 2013 elections. She emerged with a high
awareness rating equal to reelectionist Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Alan
Peter Cayetano and San Juan Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito.
But Revilla said his wife would be seeking reelection as Cavite
representative next year and would likely run for the Senate when his second and
final term ends in 2016.

ABOUT LAKAS-CMD PARTY [Also Lakas-CMD and Kabalikat ng Malayang
Pilipino]
Lakas Kampi CMD (Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim
Democrats) was a center-right political party in the Philippines. Its ideology
is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy. The party's influence
on Philippine society is very evident, especially after the People Power
Revolution, which has led the country to elect two presidents from the party,
namely Fidel V. Ramos, an Evangelical Christian, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a
Roman Catholic.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 18, 2008, confirmed the historical
merger of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Kabalikat ng
Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) parties. Both parties adopted the "equity of the
incumbent" principle, as the merger will account for almost 200 national and
8,000 local officials, amid Mrs. Arroyo's prediction of 2010 elections victory.

Prospero Nograles, Lakas President and Kampi Chair Ronaldo Puno signed the
covenant at the Davao City regional caucus. Former President and Lakas-CMD
Chairman Emeritus Fidel V. Ramos announced on February 6, 2008 that Lakas-CMD
would be the surviving entity after its merger with KAMPI.
On August 9, 2009, Pangasinan Representative and Former House Speaker Jose de
Venecia, Jr. and Former President Fidel V. Ramos led fifty members from the
Lakas Kampi CMD in objecting to its merger with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino
(KAMPI) on May 28, 2009.
The faction made de Venecia its President with Ramos as the Chairman Emeritus
of the new party, Ramos refused the offer of Chairman Emeritus of Lakas-Kampi
after being named in interim party organization. De Venecia has filed a
resolution at the Commission on Elections to declare null and void the merger.
However, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the legality of the merger, citing
the failure of de Venecia "to sufficiently show that any grave abuse of
discretion was committed by the Commission on Elections in rendering the
challenged resolution."
Notable members: Fidel V. Ramos (12th President of the Philippines;

Chairman Emeritus and Former Party Chairman; co-founder) Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (14th President of the Philippines;
current Party
Chairperson and concurrently Chairperson Emeritus of her mother party Kampi)
Teofisto Guingona, Jr. (Vice President; former Party President)
Raul
Manglapus (Senator; co-founder)
Renato Cayetano (Senator)
Jose de
Venecia Jr. (Speaker of the House of Representatives; former Party President and
co-founder)
Eduardo Ermita (Executive Secretary)
Juan Flavier (Secretary
of Health; Senator)
Bong Revilla, Jr. (Senator; current Party Chairman and
President)
List of Party Chairmen: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2008–2009) Gilberto
Teodoro (2009–2010) Amelita Villarosa (2010) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2010–2011)
Edcel Lagman (2011-2012)
FROM WIKIPEDIA
Philippine Senate election, 2013
Election to the Senate of the Philippines will be held on Monday, May 13,
2013. This is to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate.
Together with those elected in 2010, they will comprise the 16th Congress.
The senators elected in 2010 will serve until June 30, 2016, while the senators
elected in this election will serve up to June 30, 2019. The elections to the
House of Representatives as well as local elections will occur on the same date.

The Philippines uses plurality-at-large voting for seats in the Senate: the
twelve candidates with the highest number of votes wins the twelve seats up for
election.
The Senate seat vacated by President Benigno Aquino III in 2010 will be among
the twelve seats to be put for election.
Due to the appointment of incumbent Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in the
International Criminal Court, her Senate seat may be vacated and would pave the
way for the election of a thirteenth Senator in 2013.
However, the thirteenth Senator will only serve for the remaining three years
of Defensor-Santiago's unexpired term
Electoral system
Philippine senatorial elections are done via the plurality-at-large voting
system: the entire country is one at-large "district", where a voter can vote up
to twelve people (one vote per candidate), with the twelve candidates with the
highest amount of votes deemed being elected. Senators who are currently serving
their second consecutive term are term limited, although they may run again in
2016.
Each party has a slate of as many candidates as it can muster, although they
don't usually exceed a 12-person ticket. If a party can't complete a full
ticket, they may invite "guest candidates" to complete the ticket. They may even
come other slates, and these guest candidates may not participate in electoral
rallies by their adoptive party(ies), or may not cooperate at the senate if
elected.
A coalition of different parties may be formed in cases where no party has
the ability to complete a full ticket; a party may not include their entire
slate on a coalition ticket. Independents may become guest candidates and be
included in coalitions.
Winning candidates are proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
sitting as the National Board of Canvassers. Candidates are proclaimed
senators-elect if the thirteenth place candidate no longer has a mathematical
chance of surpassing the candidate. Post-proclamation disputes are handled by
the Senate Electoral Tribunal, a body composed of six senators and three
justices from the Supreme Court.
Thirteenth Senate seat
On December 12, 2011, incumbent Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was elected
as a Judge of the International Criminal Court.[2] As a result, she is expected
to vacate her Senate seat after the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato
Corona, which is expected to end prior to the 2013 elections.
Once Defensor-Santiago vacates her Senate seat, an additional Senator would
be elected in the upcoming election to serve the remaining three years of her
unexpired term. If this happens, it would be the second instance in which 13
Senators were elected, with the first one taking place during the 2001 Senate
elections when Gregorio Honasan was elected to serve the remaining three years
of former Senator Teofisto Guingona, who vacated his Senate seat after being
appointed as Vice-President prior to the election.
Term-limited incumbents
The following are barred from running since they are on their second
consecutive six-year term: Edgardo Angara (LDP) Joker Arroyo (Lakas-Kampi)
Panfilo Lacson (Independent) Francis Pangilinan (Liberal) Manny Villar
(Nacionalista)
Candidates
Declared candidates
The following individuals have formally announced their intention to run for
senator in 2013, ordered first by incumbent senators, former senators and other
candidates.
Incumbents not term-limited
Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista)

Francis Escudero (Independent)
Gregorio Honasan (Independent)
Loren
Legarda (NPC)
Koko Pimentel (PDP-Laban)
Antonio Trillanes IV
(Independent)
Former senators
Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan-VNP)
Juan Miguel
Zubiri (PMP)
Others
Robert Ace Barbers (Nacionalista) former Governor of
Surigao del Norte
Joey de Venecia (PDP-LABAN) businessman and 2010 senatorial
candidate
Jack Enrile (NPC), incumbent Representative from Cagayan
Gwen
Garcia (PDP-Laban/One Cebu), incumbent Governor of Cebu
Alma Moreno-Salic
(Lakas-CMD), actress, incumbent Councilor of Parañaque City, and national
president of the Philippine Councilors League
Danton Remoto, chairman
emeritus of Ang Ladlad, an LGBT political party
Lorenzo Tañada III (Liberal),
incumbent Representative from Quezon and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Candidacy under consideration The following individuals had publicly
announced that they are exploring options on running. Some in this list have
been officially announced as part of a political party or coalition's ticket:


Juan Edgardo Angara (LDP), incumbent Representative from Aurora
Ruffy
Biazon (Liberal), incumbent Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and 2010
senatorial candidate
Leila de Lima, incumbent Secretary of Justice
Joseph
Victor Ejercito (PMP), incumbent Representative from San Juan, Metro
Manila[
Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, former Akbayan party-list representative
and 2010 senatorial candidate
Joel Villanueva, incumbent Secretary-General of
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
Prospective candidates
Former senators
The following individuals had served as Senators
in the past. They have been speculated as probable senatorial candidates, but
have not formally announced their intention to run:
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, 14th President of the Philippines and incumbent
Representative from Pampanga
Rodolfo Biazon, incumbent Representative from
Muntinlupa[
Ernesto Maceda, columnist and radio host
Jamby Madrigal, 2010
presidential candidate
Others The following individuals have been speculated as probable
senatorial candidates, but have not formally announced their intention to run:

Joseph Emilio Abaya, incumbent Representative from Cavite
Neric Acosta,
former Representative from Bukidnon and 2010 senatorial candidate
Rodolfo
Antonino, incumbent Representative from Nueva Ecija
Kris Aquino, television
host and actress
Diosdado Macapagal-Arroyo, incumbent Representative from
Camarines Sur
Raul Bacalzo, retired Director General and former Chief of the
Philippine National Police
Ricky Carandang, incumbent Secretary of the
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Teddy
Casiño, incumbent Bayan Muna party-list representative
Mike Enriquez, GMA-7
news broadcaster
Sherwin Gatchalian, incumbent Mayor of Valenzuela
Roilo
Golez, incumbent Representative from Parañaque
Edwin Lacierda, incumbent
Presidential Spokesman
Danilo Lim, incumbent Deputy Commissioner for
Intelligence of the Bureau of Customs, retired brigadier general, and 2010
senatorial candidate
Mitos Magsaysay, incumbent Representative from
Zambales
Imee Marcos, incumbent Governor of Ilocos Norte
Grace Padaca,
former Governor of Isabela
Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, incumbent Chairwoman
of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
Cesar Purisima,
incumbent Secretary of Finance
Manuel L. Quezon III, incumbent Undersecretary
of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning
Office
Boying Remulla, incumbent Representative from Cavite
Martin
Romualdez, incumbent Representative from Leyte
Roman Romulo, incumbent
Representative from Pasig City
Joey Salceda, incumbent Governor of
Albay
Korina Sanchez, ABS-CBN news broadcaster
Corazon Soliman, incumbent
Secretary of Social Welfare and Development
Niel Tupas, Jr., incumbent
Representative from Iloilo
Cynthia Villar, former Representative from Las
Piñas
Declined bids
The following individuals have been speculated as probable senatorial
candidates, but have denied interest publicly.
Florencio Abad, incumbent Secretary of Budget and Management
Oscar V.
Cruz, retired Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
Sara Duterte, incumbent Mayor of
Davao City
Gary Estrada, actor and incumbent Provincial Board member of
Quezon
Lani Mercado, incumbent Representative from Cavite
Mar Roxas,
incumbent Secretary of Transportation and Communications, former Senator, and
2010 vice-presidential candidate
Adel Tamano, lawyer, talk show host, and
2010 senatorial candidate
Gilbert Teodoro, former Secretary of National
Defense and 2010 presidential candidate
POLITICAL PARTIES
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)

The Pwersa ng Masang
Pilipino (PMP) headed by former president Joseph Estrada and the Partido
Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) headed by vice president Jejomar
Binay signed a coalition agreement for the 2013 elections, forming the United
Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
The two parties were formerly partners in the United Opposition in the 2007
election, and Estrada and Binay were running mates during the 2010 presidential
election.
Aquilino Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president, has stated that the UNA's
senatorial slate is now more than twelve members and is in the process of
trimming down; he had also expressed reservations on the inclusion of Juan
Miguel Zubiri, of whom he had won an election protest after the 2007 election.

On May 3, 2012, Zubiri took an oath to become a member of the PMP; Estrada
and Binay were optimistic that Pimentel and Zubiri will be able to reconcile
their differences prior to the campaign.
On May 10, 2012, UNA announced its first five senatorial candidates:
re-electionist Sens. Aquilino Pimentel III and Gregorio Honasan, Representatives
Jack Enrile and JV Ejercito, and 2010 senatorial candidate Joey de Venecia.

INQUIRER NEWS HEADLINE
Ex-President Estrada losing his cool over Senator Pimentel
III By Christian V. Esguerra Philippine Daily Inquirer 2:00 am |
Sunday, June 24th, 2012
Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada's patience is running thin, after he
complained that he still could not get a meeting with disgruntled Sen. Aquilino
"Koko" Pimentel III to thresh out the latter's differences with Juan Miguel
Zubiri.
As of Saturday, Estrada said Pimentel had yet to grant his request for a
meeting, which he first made a month ago. He said he had been told by Pimentel's
camp that the senator would "defer (the private meeting) until further notice."

Pimentel is the PDP-Laban president, while Vice President Jejomar Binay is
its chair.
Estrada said the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) would drop Pimentel from
its senatorial line-up if the latter eventually decided to leave the coalition.

"Of course," he replied when asked if Pimentel would lose his Senatorial slot
if he left UNA.
"We will not entertain any guest candidate."
'I won't wait'
Estrada struggled to hide his dismay at Pimentel, considering that he—a
former president and senior leader of UNA—was the one "seeking an audience" with
the senator if only to keep him in the coalition.
"I won't wait for him," Estrada said in Filipino in a phone interview. "I
have been seeking an audience with him for a long time. But he keeps on
deferring. I don't want to be with him if he doesn't want to."
He added: "We have extended all efforts to convince him. That's why I want to
talk to him one-on-one to convince him to stay with us. But he doesn't want to
talk to me."
The Inquirer failed to reach Pimentel for comment. On June 14, he asked
reporters to give him two weeks to think things over and come up with a final
decision.
Pimentel is protesting the inclusion of Zubiri in the UNA senatorial lineup,
saying the latter benefited from massive cheating in Maguindanao in the 2007
elections. Zubiri beat Pimentel to the 12th seat in the senatorial race that
year. Pimentel questioned the results and was eventually proclaimed the rightful
winner. Zubiri stepped down in August last year after serving four years of the
six-year Senate term that was rightfully Pimentel's.
Estrada reminded Pimentel that he was a signatory to the "covenant" between
the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and Estrada's
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), which gave birth to UNA.
Even if Pimentel decides to leave UNA, Estrada is confident the senator would
not be able to take other members of PDP-Laban with him and break the coalition.
He said UNA decisions were made by himself, Binay and Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile. "It's the three of us who decide," he said.
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party was open on creating coalitions or alliances
with other parties for the 2013 election, as long as the politicians have the
same principles as them. Secretary of Budget and Management Butch Abad that it
was too early to make conclusions.
Two days later, the Liberals revealed 14 names possible candidates in their
ticket, these includes candidates that are being considered in the UNA ticket;
this means there may be common names in both tickets.
On May 17, 2012, Pres. Aquino revealed the party's four sure senatorial bets:


Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara, TESDA Chairman Joel Villanueva, and 2010
senatorial candidates Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel and Ruffy Biazon. All four,
however, are still considering their options to run for Senator.
Nacionalista Party
On April 2012, the Nacionalista Party is choosing between UNA and the
LP tickets, with party secretary-general Alan Peter Cayetano saying that it is
too early to decide on such matters. The verdict in the impeachment of Renato
Corona may affect their decision.


Nationalist People's Coalition
Senator Francis Escudero, who formerly campaigned for the Nationalist
People's Coalition (NPC)'s presidential nomination in 2010 before resigning from
the party and withdrawing from the race abruptly, said believes that the NPC and
the Liberals "are in coalition with one another."



Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


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